Minister Of Education And Technology Nadiem Asks For Calistung Tests To Be Removed From The Elementary School Entry Process

Illustration. SD Negeri 1 Praja Taman Sari in Wonuamonapa Village, Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi (Between)

JAKARTA - Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Mendikbudristek) Nadiem Anwar Makarim asked for a reading, writing, and calculating aka calistung test to be removed from the New Student Admissions (PPDB) process at SD/Mi/equivalent.

This is one of three targets for the achievement of the 24th Anniversary Learning Program, entitled PAUD Transition to Fun Elementary School.

"The independence to learn the 24th episode is a policy that underlies the transition of PAUD to SD/Mi/equivalent which is fun which will start from the new school year, so there are three achievement targets that must be carried out by the education unit," said Nadiem in Jakarta, Tuesday, March 28, quoted by Antara.

Nadiem explained that the elimination of the calistung test from the PPDB process at SD/MI/equivalent must be done because each child has the right to get basic education services.

In addition, the calistung test has also been prohibited through Government Regulation Number 17 of 2010 concerning the Management and Implementation of Education and Regulation of the Minister of Education and Culture Number 1 of 2021 concerning PPDB.

Moreover, there are still children who have never had the opportunity to study in the PAUD unit, so it is very inappropriate if the child is given a calistung test requirement to be able to get basic education services.

Meanwhile, the second achievement target is that education units need to apply an introduction period for new students for the first two weeks.

PAUD and SD/MI/equivalent units can facilitate children and parents to get acquainted with the learning environment so that new students can feel comfortable in learning activities.

Then PAUD and SD/MI/equivalent units are also expected to get to know students further through learning activities, so that the learning provided can be more targeted.

"Knowing new students by implementing learning activities that provide information about learning needs. Respect children's different processes because building foundation capabilities needs to be done gradually," said Nadiem.

In the third achievement target, education units in PAUD and SD/MI/equivalent need to apply learning that builds six children's foundation skills, namely getting to know religious values and character and social skills and language for interacting.

Furthermore, regarding emotional maturity for activities in the learning environment and cognitive maturity to carry out learning activities such as possession of basic literacy and numeracy.

Next is the development of motor skills and self-care to participate in the learning environment independently and to interpret positive learning.

The Minister of Education and Technology said that the foundation's capabilities needed to be built continuously from PAUD to grade two at the basic education level.

For this reason, graduate competency standards for PAUD are not designed per age, but as an achievement that needs to be achieved at the end of the phase and can be met up to the second grade of basic education and no graduation evaluation for PAUD students.